The Candidate Connection: Finding the Right Match

Yes, you are probably inundated with resumes from qualified applicants for every job you post, and chances are your screening skills are down to a science, but what do you do with so many candidates for so few positions? As the late Steve Jobs said, "Hiring is your most important task." Hiring does not simply mean the process of putting a cog in a wheel, but rather making a good quality hire that will add value and contributions to your organization.

Selecting candidates for a position can feel a bit like you are a contestant on "The Dating Game." A group of potential suitors are thrown your way and you are given a limited amount of information, revealed only at their discretion. Using this limited information, you now get to make decisions about whom you'd like to interview and ultimately hire. Just as on the show, several of the suitors can show a lot of potential and look great initially, but wind up being duds.

So, how do you choose between several great candidates?

1. Test them with some real workplace scenarios. Just like interviews in "The Dating Game," you will want to give your candidate a test run on job-related scenarios. This helps to see if they are competent to take on the role in the company you are looking to fill. Evaluate how each candidate handles especially sensitive situations, how they react to feedback, and if they are not afraid to give feedback.

2. Ask some behavioral questions. When choosing a date, past and present performance is always essential to understand. If your candidate has had as many jobs as Charlie Sheen has had affairs, chances are they may have some behavioral issues. Past behavior is usually a strong predictor of future behavior, so it is crucial to understand what motivated a candidate's past behavior or how they might handle certain job situations.

Behavioral interviewing has long been accepted as a standard in interviewing assessment methods, and now more than ever the way employees interact with others on the job (as well as with customers) is essential in maintaining high workplace morale.

3. Get their references. Outside of not wanting to ruin relationships with close friends, most of us do not date our friends' exes because we know their references stink. Ask questions of each reference that help you to learn more about the candidate. Usually, a candidate will not ask you to talk to anyone they know will give them a bad reference, so it is essential to listen to not only what is said, but also what is not said. A good reference will provide solid examples about the candidate's performance as it relates to position. References should be able to give you a clear picture of how the candidate behaved on the job and interacted with others.

4. Figure out what they had to overcome. Perhaps the candidate had to overcome quite a few obstacles before getting to this stage of the interview process. They must have had some of the characteristics you were looking for in order to get here. Evaluating the stamina of your dates and your candidates will help you to see who has the greatest desire to be with your organization for the long-haul.

5. Have your employees conduct peer-to-peer interviews. Sometimes on "The Dating Game," contestants would appear on the show looking for love for a friend or colleague. Sometimes our friends just know us better than we know ourselves in the game of love.

Similarly, in evaluating candidates, involving other employees in the decision prior to a formal offer can increase the likelihood of a solid match. You should make sure your employees have chemistry with new workers in order to establish good company morale. Just be sure that you do not choose disgruntled employees to interview a new hire, because they may actually deter a great candidate from working for your company.

Now that you have some other areas to look at for each candidate, you will be able to learn more about potential employees and have a fuller scope of attributes to look at before making your decision.

What have been the deciding factors in the past when you have hired candidates?

Robert Petti is the CEO of Resoomay, a cloud-based pre-screening tool that improves the job search process for recruiters and applicants. Connect with him and Resoomay on Facebook and Twitter.